Audience: The First Lady, Mrs Dominique Ouattara receives the Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta.

First Lady Dominique Ouattara granted an audience to His Excellency Mr. Arnaud de Martin of Viviès, Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta, on Tuesday June 24, 2025, at her office in Cocody. The Ambassador came to seek the First Lady’s patronage for a charity gala, scheduled for December, to benefit the Order’s hospital works in Côte d’Ivoire.

Discussions also touched on the prospects for cooperation between the Dominique Ouattara Women’s and children’s Hospital in Bingerville and the Sovereign Order of Malta, particularly in the field of maternal and child health, an area of common commitment for both parties.

At the end of the audience, His Excellency Arnaud de Martin of Viviès explained the purpose of his visit: “We wished to request the First Lady’s patronage for a charity gala to be held in early December for the benefit of the Order of Malta’s hospitals in Côte d’Ivoire.

He also stressed the importance of strengthening existing collaboration: “It was also a great opportunity to get together again, and to discuss ways of further developing our partnership with the Women’s and Children’s hospital in Bingerville, with which we have already established links that we intend to deepen.”

The Sovereign Order of Malta is a Catholic religious order and an international humanitarian organization. One of the oldest lay religious orders, it is recognized as a sovereign entity by numerous states and international institutions.

H.E.M. Arnaud de Martin of Viviès presented his credentials to the President of the Republic, His Excellency  Alassane Ouattara, on November 23, 2017.